Method of forming sheet metal



April 15, 1924. 1,490,421 L. H. FALLEY METHOD OF FORMING SHEET METAL Filed July 17. 1922 Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS H. FALLEY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO M. H.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

FALLE'Y, or

ME'I.HIOD OF FORMING- SHEET METAL.

Application filed July 17, 1922. Serial No. 575,693.

T all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LEWIS H, FALLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and v State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of Forming Sheet Metal, of which the following is a complete specification.

The present invention relates to sheet or plate metal working, and aims to devise a novel method of producing an article from such material having a plurality of curved or twisted bafile fingers or blades of a type adapted for use as retarding or deflecting elements in connection with the control or modification of fluid currents.

Accordingly, I have devised a method which consists primarily in the cutting of a metal sheet or plate in such manner as to provide a plurality of blades or fingers adapted to be twisted in the required manner for forming the series of deflecting elements, which cutting operation also results in the formation of suitable clearance spaces between the blades or fingers for facilitating the operation of im arting the desired shape to the fingers or b ades.

With this general object in view, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one mode of practicing the improved process, after which those features deemed to be novel will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a plan view of a sheet of metal illustrating the manner in which the same is cut or punched prior to the shaping of the bafile blades or fingers;

Figure 2 is a similar View showing the bafile blades or fingers after the same have been subjected to the shaping or twisting process;

Figure 3 is an end view of the same look- 46 ing to the right in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a plan view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a difierent form of enlargements at the inner ends of the ends of the slots between the baffle blades or fingers,

50 and also a slightly modified arrangement of said blades or fingers.

Referring-now to vthe drawing in detail, this shows a fra ment 5 of plate or sheet material in whic has, been. produced, by

6| suitable cutting, stamping or punching oporation, a plurality of slits or slots 6 extending from one edge of the sheet and terminating at their inner ends in expanded portions or enlar ements 7 of any desired outline, the result eing that a-plurality of blades, fingers or bafiie elements 8 are thus formed between the several pairs of adjoining slots 6. Preferably in case of the material forming the sheet being of any apreciable thickness, the slots 6 are produced y cutting out narrow strips of the material along the lines of the slots, so as to facilitate clearance of the fingers 8 when subjected to the twisting process as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. The drawing shows two parallel rows of the fingers 8 produced by means of cutting two sets of slots 6 extending from two opposite sides of the sheet 5, and the corners of the sheet removed by the same cutting operation, leaving end projections or supporting stems 10 adapted to be employed in the mounting of the bafile structure in its position of use. In this connection it may be stated that the invention relates to the production of baifie structures of the nature set forth in my copending application Serial Number 562,142, filed May 19, 1922, adapted especially for the control or modification of water currents, as will be found more fully explained in said application.

Any appropriate means, manual or otherwise, may be employed for the twisting of the bafiie blades or fingers 8, and said blades or fingers twisted in either direction or at any angle, and bent in either direction laterally from the central or body portion of the plate or sheet 5 to any required extentaccording to the conditions of use for which the particular device is to be adapted, either as a current bafiiing, deflecting or retarding appliance. The drawing shows these blades or fingers both bent in opposite directions 1 and also twisted in opposite directions at the opposite sides of the device, but this arrangement and design may of course vary within wide limits. The said twisting and bending operation is carried out far more accurately and efficiently than would otherwise be possible by virtue of the openings or recesses 7 forming the enlarged inner ends of the slits or slots 6, which obviously allow each of the blades or fingers 8 tobe twisted more readily and freely, and to a much greater extent than would be permitted if said recesses were not present, and all with- 110 out any distortion of the remainder of the metal. The cutting away of some of the metal along the lines of the slots 6 also facilitates the se arate twisting of the fingers a method afliords a simple,

8, since the.

or blades extending at angles to each other" as shown in Figure 1.

It will be apparent that the improved peditious means of producing a structure of the character descri ed, and that, besides the facility and accuracy with which the curved and twisted contour of the blades or fingers is efiected by the new process, the formation of such a twisted outline stifi'ens and strengthens the deflecting blades or fingers and enables them to Wltl'lSlifiIld' a greater 7 force or pressure than bafiie elements of bent form but lacking the twisted contour.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the referred mode of practicing the invention, desire to reserve jacent edges of each pair of or blades are thus permitted to clear.

ractical and .ex-.

metal plate with twisted baflle the right to make all such changes or modifications as may fairly and roperlyfall within the scopeof the appen ed claims.

WhatI claim is '1. The 'method'of constructing a sheet metal late with twisted bafiie blades or finslits in the'sheet metal and removing some of the metal at the closed end'of each slit to form enlargements orcx ansions of the inner ends of said slits, an then twisting tire metal between each pair of adjacent s its. 5 i I 2. The method of constructin fingers. which consists .in cutting from a metal sheet a plurality of narrow stri s of a sheet metal plate with twisted bafile lades or gers w ich consists in forming a plurality of material be 'nning at the margin 0 the 1 sheet and en arged at the inner ends of said strips, and then twisting the blades or fingers formed by the removal of said strips of material.

3. The method of const'ructin -a sheet liades or fingers which consists in punchin in a metal sheet a plurality of parallel s ots extending from the margin of the sheet and terminating in openings at their inner ends of greater diameter than the width of said slots, and then twisting the fingers or blades formed by said series of slots.

In witness whereof I hereunto affix my signature. I

LEWIS H. FALLE Y. 

